The Friday Five: Food and Fire Edition

Horse breeders get Crundwell creative: Remember Rita Crundwell, the Dixon, Ill., employee who stole $53.7 million from the city over the course of a couple decades? Crundwell invested those millions in the quarter horse industry, and as those horses have been repossessed (so to speak) and foals are born, horse owners have gotten creative with names. This piece gives a rundown but my favorites: “She’s a Fancy Felon,” “Got Hot Assets” and “Whatwazshethinking.”

Oregon ranchers’ BLM battle brings more jail time: A father and son ranching team in Oregon are facing five years in prison for starting fires on BLM ground, which they maintain was done to protect their grazing land. But there may be more to the story, including the possibility at least one fire was set to hide illegal deer hunting. Lotsa links in this story, but it’s a fascinating look at appeals and convictions and what happens when you’re charged with arson and terrorism.

For decades, the government steered millions away from whole milk. Was that wrong? So, when U.S. dietary guidelines encouraged people to steer clear of whole milk, they did. Whole milk sales shrunk, low-fat milk product sales soared. But was it all wrong? Maybe – especially if you replaced those fats with low-fat carbs like bread, cakes, cookies, etc. This is a telling quote: “By warning people against full-fat dairy foods, the United States is “losing a huge opportunity for the prevention of disease,” said Marcia Otto, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Texas. “What we have learned over the last decade is that certain foods that are high in fat seem to be beneficial.”

10 healthful foods worth the premium price tag: I met Ellie Krieger a couple years ago when she moderated a Food Dialogue panel. I’ve followed her work since then and this is a great piece she did for the Washington Post. I learned stuff, like the wild rice and chocolate tips.